The Gallery of Wonder

Art /science/ gallery/ museum.

 

The Gallery of Wonder is curated by Irene Brown and is a conference point and exhibition facility for research into the evocation of wonder. Fundamentally understood as a contemporary gallery it invites exploration into the potential of visual display to provoke enquiry and stimulate innovative associations.


Its aim is to encourage the questioning of the conventional relationships between art and science, gallery and museum. The Gallery of Wonder extends an open invitation to artists, scientists, writers and researchers to engage with and contribute to thissresearch.


The original Gallery of Wonder is comprised of two large oak and glass display cabinets built into the windows of the Fine Art Building in Newcastle University, overlooking the beautiful Victorian Quadrangle. Originally intended as a year-long programme presenting ten projects the Gallery has been so overwhelmed with applications of such a high quality that the project has been extended to accommodate 18 projects over two years, February 2010 to January 2012.


In November 2010 the project expanded to include a new venue, a specifically built cabinet placed within the Great North Museum: Hancock, the North of England’s only natural history museum. The new GOW/GNM project provides another 10 opportunities to engage with the project. Even with this expansion of the project the programme is now fully booked and I regret that we have no more exhibition opportunities available.
However we remain interested in hearing from anyone who would like to engage with the project, perhaps write something to be published on the web site, set up their own GOW or cabinet and link information to this site, or participate in any future GOW events?


In September 2010 the Gallery of Wonder also began a ten month long artist in residence project with Shannon Clegg.